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Sunday, December 19, 2010

Nurnberger style Bratwurst

I am enjoying the process of making sausages. This one is a Nurnberger style bratwurst. It was a little tough to find a recipe. Some called for caraway but checking with a German colleague disabused me of that notion, they all called for beef, veal specifically, but I couldn't find any so I used chuck roast (I had some left over from the Kielbasa adventure). the primary seasoning is marjoram.

Nurnberger bratwurst is a name protected under EU law, and the exact recipe is a closely held secret by the sausage makers in Nurnberg. It is a smaller sausage, thinner than the common bratwurst you get in the States, so it calls for lamb casings rather than hog casings.

At this point make a small patty and fry it up to check seasonings. I thought it was rather salty but, decided to forge ahead anyway.

Stuff into small casings, tying off at 4" or so. I'm not the best at this so some are bigger than others. Ah well, the perils of homemade.

Into a big pan with some water to poach. I want them cooked so all they need is a little time in the pan or grill.

When all is said and done, I have nice batch of sausages!

The ones in the foreground may have had a blowout or are too stubby to package. They were sacrificed to the taste test. I grilled them and they are unlike any sausage I've had, mild, beefy, a hint of nutmeg. In other words, pretty subtle. But good! And they did not taste oversalted so I was happy about that.

I vacuum sealed the rest, and popped them in the freezer. We'll see if they pass muster with a few of my German colleagues.

Until next time, Eat Well & Keep Digging!

12/21/2010 Update
Per my German colleague who requested them, they are a little salty - but clearly quite edible - she ate 6 of them! Also the flavor profile is correct. The grind was too fine - nect time I grind once, mix spices and stuff.

So the verdict is in, the germans like the sausages. Here is the content of the a text I received (from my boss no less!).

"We just eat (sic) your brats- absolutely perfect! Not too salty, just right - theyhave to be well seasoned. WE WANT MORE! Can I join youion your garage onetime preparing sausages? Seriously the best sausage we have had in the US. Many thanks!"

Too effusive to attribute to just being nice. I'm pretty happy with that response!

Just found your site via Bartolini kitchens. After perusing a bit saw this recipe of yours and was really excited. Having lived throughout Bayern I'm very familiar and fond of Nuernberger Wuerste. Here in America it constantly gets under my skin that German restaurants or delis serve this type of sausage in name only, since they are usually the wrong size and don’t taste anything like the real thing. Kudos to you for attempting to recreate something with authentic flavor and, by the accounts of the Germans who tasted them, succeeding. One piece of feedback…typically Nuernberger Wuerste are smaller and shorter than which you made them (really no more than 3 inches long (estimate) and thinner). However, I’m not sure whether or not this was possible with the casing you had available to you or not. Thanks so much for sharing this and I’m sure I’ll enjoy looking around the rest of your site. Cheers!

Hi sportsglutton - You are right they are a little longer than traditional. Length is is just an issue of my inexperience as a sausage maker - diameter is a function of the casings. I thought they were salty... I'd back off a little bit in the future.